Responsible citizenship is more than a government label! : Faith-based values in the domestic domain

Abstract

Citizenship entails a relationship that is more than a label for individuals’ rights and duties. Responsible citizenship means acting responsibly towards peace, justice, human rights, good values, and social justice. Social justice connects with the idea of creating a society that is based on responsible citizenship and recognises the dignity of every human being. However, it seems that families face innumerable challenges when it comes to social justice. The world has come to see families as units where violence occurs. In South Africa, a devastated face for families is the issue of gender-based violence. South Africa has the highest rate of genderbased violence in the world. Domestic and sexual violence has marked the post-1994 democratic era. Women and children are abused and murdered and most of the perpetrators are the fathers in the homes. These challenges can be weighed against the plan God has for families. God intended families to be the building blocks of homes, the church and society, and the first avenue where children can learn about Christ’s love, forgiveness, compassion, and about faith-based values. Children are a gift from God and Christian parents are obligated to teach them about him and about faith-based values. Christian families can play a significant role in their children’s spiritual development and their Christian worldview. Family is the prime envoy of socialisation that God created in the very beginning, and the church should be an ideal model for family life. Faith-based values in this context refer to religious, biblical, and Christian values. This paper explores this matter by means of a literature review of journal articles and books to explore the perspectives and views of other scholars in this field.